by katrin on January 5, 2012
Last February I reviewed one of my favorite wines in the under $20 price range: Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray. It was from the 2007 vintage and I found the “wine’s richness, purity, and delicious…hard to resist.” I am currently in the process of selecting wine for a 500-person event at my “day job” and the 2010 vintage of this wine is a contender for the white to be served with dinner. Why a contender, rather than an obvious choice? Because, to my surprise, some of my fellow tasters/colleagues were not quite as taken with it as I continue to be.
The fruit in the 2010 is incredible, with fresh green apple, Bosc pear, quince, and lime, along with some of that wooliness, for which Chenin Blanc is known, are intense on the nose and palate. It is racy with a zesty acidity that makes my taste buds take notice. As with the 2007 there is a lot of minerality. But the ripeness and honey notes are not here, and it feels quite young. To my surprise, the colleagues who tasted with me were almost puzzled by this wine. They lacked the words to describe what they were tasting, but “funky” came up a couple of times and some thought it was like tasting a cellar.
I love the possibility of serving a biodynamic or organic wine like this one and introducing our guests to a wine that they likely would not encounter otherwise, but my colleagues’ reactions make me cautious about selecting the Vigneau-Chevreau. Luckily, I still have a couple of weeks to make a decision. If you can suggest a crowd-pleasing, but interesting wine that retails for $18 or less, please do leave a comment. I’m open to suggestions!
At Atlas Liquors for $19.99.
by glenn on October 14, 2011
My favorite fall white
I went looking for a fall white several weeks ago. I was done with the racy whites and pretty pinks of summer. I wanted a wine with more substance. I came upon a large floor display for this wine and since the price was right – $8.99 – and the varietal also – Chenin Blanc – I thought I’d give it a try. Chenin Blanc, a varietal most often associated with the Loire Valley in France, has found another home in which to flourish in South Africa. The winery, Steenberg, one of the oldest in South Africa, is also a player in the wine tourism sector. It’s worth a visit to the website to see dramatic photos of the modern winery and posh accomodations. The wine didn’t disappoint. When I nosed the wine – a wine tasting term I don’t use often since it reminds me of dogs meeting – the word “pome” came to mind, that family of fleshy fruits which includes apples, pears and quince. My reaction was how appropriate to the fall season. In the nose – sweet herbs such as woodruff, chamomille; Golden Delicious apples, Taylor Gold pears with their scent of honey and Pineapple quince. On the palate – full, ripe fruit giving way to strong acidity. The mouthfeel is rich, weighty. The wine finishes juicy with the lingering ripeness of the pomes and the wonderful acidity. A touch of bitterness only adds to the interest. I’ve been back to purchase the wine several times which- the floor display now gone – has been relegated to the “$8.99 and Under” bin. Hopefully, there will be enough to last through Thanksgiving since this would make a fine accompaniment to that meal.
available at
Whole Foods River St. Cambridge MA
$8.99
by glenn on July 26, 2011
"La P'tit Loire" - a fine accompaniment to Brie
Now, “The Summer of Riesling” is a fine idea – acquaint wine drinkers with the wonderful world of Riesling, the most underrated of the white noble grapes. And the wines of Argentina, which we love and promote at Wine Dine With Us, offer a great confluence of quality and price. Having said all that, though, make mine France. I’ve continued my search for value-priced white French wines for summer quaffing – I’ve moved off from my Rosé pedestal – and discovered this very good Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley produced by La Cave des Vins de Sancerre, a cooperative of one hundred growers. Some wineaux may look askance at cooperative wines but don’t dismiss them – they can offer good value and are generally well-made. The major grapes in Sancerre are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The coop produces wines from both in addition to a Rosé. In the nose, I find the wine reminiscent of sitting on my patio – floral and herbaceous aromas from the garden along with the flowering ailanthus in the woodlot next door. In addition, a hint of white stone fruit and perhaps apricot. And add to all that a melange of citrus – lemon, lime, bitter orange and, of course, grapefruit. On the palate, the citrus continues. A very smooth, round mouthfeel. The wine finishes with strong acidity and a bit of bitterness. Though the wine does make a great aperitif, I paired it with a somewhat simple supper – grilled chicken breast and a tomato-cucumber salad. The challenge of the match-up – besides the tomatoes – was the dressing for the salad which I also used as an accompaniment to the chicken – dill, lemon, garlic, olive oil, Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. All went well – the wine complimenting the chicken and salad and holding its own against the tomatoes and mayo.
available at Whole Foods 340 River St. Camb. MA – $11.99
Since Whole Foods River St. is having a Summer Madness wine sale - 20% off 6 or more bottles – I actually paid $9.59.
by glenn on June 22, 2011
The captivating "Cocagne"
Does this wine have a cult following? Should it have a Facebook page? Whatever those answers may be, I continue my current preoccupation with pink with this captivating wine. As I mentioned in a previous post, this wine was on the “Carte du Vin” for our evening at the Herb Lyceum. It deserves a closer look. From the Loire Valley, produced by a cooperative and made with the somewhat obscure local varietal Pineau d’Aunis, the Lieu-dit “Cocagne” is a great value priced rosé. In the glass, the wine is pleasing to behold – shimmering copper with coral highlights. In the nose, pink grapefruit, raspberries, a whiff of acacia, grass and mint. On the palate, the fruit holds forth and leads to a mouth tingling and mouth watering acidity. The mouthfeel is round and full with a mineral softness. (My demented thought was that it was like Sauvignon Blanc but without the cat pee.) I paired the wine with an orzo and shrimp salad. The ingredients would challenge any rosé – in addition to the orzo and shrimp, grape tomatoes, roasted red pepper, pickled red onion, kalamata olives, feta and marjoram. I dressed the salad with a vinaigrette of lemon juice, champagne vinegar, roasted garlic, dijon and olive oil. Successful match-up! The wine paired well with the strong and acidic ingredients resulting in a very pleasant summer supper. If you’d like to join this wine’s cult following, you may purchase it where I found it – Central Bottle and Provisions.
Cave du Vendomois Lieu Dit “Cocagne” Rosé 2010 Coteaux du Vendomois $11
Central Bottle and Provisions 196 Mass. Ave. Camb.MA
by glenn on April 15, 2011
KATRIN - I was so looking forward to the Loire Valley Wines tasting on April 4 – we are huge fans of wines from the Loire and had a really great time at the tasting at the W Hotel last year. But it was also the location, as neither of us had been to Fenway Park’s EMC Club before. With an incredible view of the Red Sox home field, it was hard not to think about spring and ballgames (although we all know now that hasn’t worked out well).
GLENN – I was pleased when I was notified that the Loire Valley Trade Tasting would be in April. Last year, the tasting was held in September, not the ideal time to showcase these wines which are so right for summer. I figured I could get a jump on the season with this event. My agenda was to taste off-dry, i.e. “demi-sec”, Vouvrays – I like a touch of sweetness in the summer, Rosés and value-priced sparklers. NB – In my more cynical moments, I consider all non-Champagne sparklers to be good value. And of course, the location was superb – The EMC Club at Fenway Park. So there I was high above home plate tasting wines from one of the most underrated wine regions of the world – a most pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
KATRIN - I didn’t have an agenda like Glenn and tasted a variety – sparkling, whites, and reds. Among my favorites were:
- 2008 Celestin Blondeau Sancerre Moulins Bales – pink grapefruit and lime; fresh, but not overly acidic
- 2008 Celestin Blondeau Pouilly-Fume Rabichottes – lovely with great minerality; full-bodied but still very fresh
- The wines of Chartrand Imports – terroir-driven, biodynamic wines
- 2005 Domanine Couly Dutheil de L’Echo
- Langlois-Chateau Cremant de Loire Brut
- Langlois-Chateau Cremant de Loire Brut Rose
GLENN – At the end of the tasting, I checked my scorecard to see how I had done. There were two Vouvrays I’d found notable, Jean Dumont Vouvray 2008 and Marcel Martin “Le Droissy” 2009. Both had a good jolt of acidity to balance the residual sugar of the wines. My favorite sparkler was a pink, Langlois-Chateau Cremant de Loire Brut Rosè NV. The wine – 100% Cabernet Franc – was pleasantly fruity and quite lively, a perfect aperitif for a summer’s evening. However, I struck out in my search for Rosés. For whatever reason, there was a dearth of Rosé – I could only find three to taste; none were memorable. I was commiserated over the Rosé drought with a taste of Chateau de Suronde Quarts de Chaume 2003. Vinified from botrytis-infected Chenin Blanc grapes, the wine is a lush nectar, capable of sweetening any disappointment. It was also the most expensive wine at the show.
by katrin on February 27, 2011
I was almost misty-eyed when I opened my last bottle of Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray. Without a doubt, this biodynamic beauty was one of my favorite white wines of last year or two. When Glenn and I split a case in summer 2009, my intention was to hold on to a couple of bottles to see how it would age in two-three years. They didn’t make it. This wine’s richness, purity, and delicious palate make it hard to resist.
With a light golden hue, this is a lively wine – even in the glass. Lots of lemon, melon, and minerality in the nose. There is a ripe, honeyed character in both the nose and on the palate. The mouthfeel is full bodied and viscous, with crisp acidity and some bitterness. The finish lingers with notes of pineapple and lemon.
Great with food, I really enjoyed the Vigneau-Chevreau on its own… and will be looking forward to the next vintage!
A Cynthia Hurley selection at Federal Wine & Spirits for $16.66.
by glenn on September 8, 2010
Ah, to be floating down the Loire on a houseboat as the resplendent chateaux slide by,overhead, billowing clouds sail through the azure sky; disembarking at a riverside vineyard and spending an afternoon sampling the treasures of the cellar. (And then stumbling back to the houseboat a la Patsy and Edy in the AB Fab episode “France”.) The idyll ends though - I must content myself by standing before wine display shelves thousands of miles from the lovely Loire to make my selections. After our sampling of Loire wines from the Jon David Headrick portfolio at Brix, I wanted to investigate plonk from the Loire. I started searching for an appropriate wine shop for my patrol but was not having much success. One shop had all white wines, another a few whites and one red and a third and a fourth had a few selections but theses were well outside plonk parameters. On a whim, I stopped at Ball Square Fine Wines and Liquor, site of my last patrol. Prominently featured was a sizeable selection of value-priced Loire Valley wines. I was ready to shop. [click to continue…]
